Spectrum Bridge submits white spaces database manager proposal to FCC

This afternoon we submitted our TV white spaces database manager proposal to the FCC in response to their Public Notice.

By submitting our proposal, Spectrum Bridge can now be officially considered for, and selected as, a database manager by the FCC.

UPDATE: (1/5/2010) - follow this link to see all the 9 proposals submitted from:

1. Spectrum Bridge
2. Google
3. Nuestar
4. Comsearch
5. Telcordia
6. KeyBridge
7. WSdb
8. Frequency Finder Inc.
9. KB Enterprises LLC

The FCC has ruled that white space devices (like wireless PCs and netbooks, smartphones, wireless music and video players, eBook readers, etc) must talk to a database to get a list of allowable frequencies it can use before it can start transmitting. The database manager insures that these devices get accurate and up-to-date frequency information.

TV white spaces hold tremendous promise for deploying a variety of applications including:

• Wireless Internet connectivity for rural and other under served communities
• Cost-effective Muniwireless and community wireless access
• High speed broadband communications for enterprises and private business networks
• Content distribution throughout a city or community
• Whole house and office video, music and data networking

Because of this, naming TV white spaces database managers is an important step in bringing this valuable wireless spectrum to market.

We expect several other companies, agencies and organizations to submit proposals as well. We'll all know in a day or two who as applied since the deadline for proposals was this afternoon, and the FCC usually posts public records (as these proposals are) within about 24 hours of receiving them.

You can find Spectrum Bridge's official response and proposal here.

To learn more about TV white spaces, what a white spaces database is, or to find which TV white spaces frequencies are available at your home or office - see our previous blog post here.


Rick Rotondo
CMO & Co-Founder
Spectrum Bridge Inc

What Channels Within White Space are Actually Available?

Spectrum Bridge has launched a Web site called ShowMyWhiteSpace.com that offers an easy online tool to find open TV channels available at any location in the U.S. Now there is a place to figure out what parts of "white space" are really accessible in a given location.

“We have seen tremendous excitement about the opportunity that this vast swath of free, unlicensed spectrum opened up for new and innovative services.” said Peter Stanforth CTO and cofounder of Spectrum Bridge. “We want to make it as straightforward as possible for people to ‘show my white space’, while also helping them understand how they could benefit from white space-based solutions.”

It was a common misconception that all channels left open by the TV Stations from their transistion to digital could actually be used be future white space devices -this is not the case. Because the number of broadcast TV stations varies throughout the country, the amount and frequencies of available white space channels can differ significantly at any given location.

When Spectrum Bridge put some of our spectrum mapping technology to work along with the new white space rules set forth by the FCC, we found some areas (especially metro) where even after the digital switch is complete in June there will not be any whitespace available. If white space IS available, the FCC rules are basically saying it is up to the communications industry to figure out how not to interfere with each other. When deciphered, the few rules the FCC suggested are illustrated in the pictured graphic.

The site allows wireless microphone users to pre-register their information with Spectrum Bridge, who will ensure its secure delivery to a white space database manager, once these entities have been designated by the FCC.

Since ShowMyWhiteSpace.com is actually the first site where someone can look up a specific address and find out if white space devices are an option, as well as pre-registering devices such as microphones, the response so far has been tremendous.